IS JESUS CHRIST GOD?
It is impossible for us to know conclusively whether God exists and what he is like
unless he takes the initiative and reveals himself.
We must scan the horizon of history to see if there is any clue to God's revelation.
There is one clear clue. In an obscure village in Palestine, 2,000 years ago, a Child
was born in a stable. Today the entire world is still celebrating the birth of Jesus,
and for good reason.
Is Jesus God? Did Jesus ever claim to be God?
had authority, and not as their teachers of the Law." 1
It soon became apparent, however, that he
was making shocking and startling statements
about himself. He began to identify himself as
far more than a remarkable teacher or prophet.
He began to say clearly that he was God. He
made his identity the focal point of his
teaching. The all-important question he put to
those who followed him was, "Who do you
say I am?" When Peter answered and said,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living
God," 2 Jesus was not shocked, nor did he
rebuke Peter. On the contrary, he commended him!
Jesus frequently referred to "My Father," and his hearers got the full impact of his
words. We are told, "The Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he
breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself
equal with God." 3
On another occasion he said, "I and My Father are One." Immediately the religious
authorities wanted to stone him. He asked them which of his good works caused
them to want to kill him. They replied, "We are not stoning you for any of these but
for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." 4
Is Jesus God? Look at His life.
As Jesus was healing a paralyzed man, Jesus said to him, "Son, your sins are
forgiven you." The religious leaders immediately reacted. "Why does this fellow talk
like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
When Jesus was on trial for his life, the high priest put the question to him directly:
"Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the
Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
The high priest rendered the verdict. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he
asked. "You have heard his blasphemy." 5
So close was Jesus' connection with God that he equated a person's attitude to
himself with the person's attitude toward God. Thus, to know him was to know
God. 6 To see him was to see God. 7 To believe in him was to believe in God. 8 To
receive him was to receive God. 9 To hate him was to hate God. 10 And to honor
him was to honor God. 11
Is Jesus God? -John chapter 1:1-12 phillippians chapter 2:5-11 colossians chapter 1:12-20 possible explanations
The question is, was he telling the truth?
Maybe Jesus lied when he said he was God.
Perhaps he knew he was not God, but
deliberately deceived his hearers. But there is a
problem with this reasoning. Even those who
deny his deity affirm that he was a great moral
teacher. Jesus could hardly be a great moral teacher if, on the most crucial point of
his teaching -- his identity -- he was a deliberate liar.
Another possibility is that Jesus was sincere but self-deceived. We have a name for
a person today who thinks he is God. Mentally disabled. But as we look at the life
of Christ, we see no evidence of the abnormality and imbalance we find in a
mentally ill person. Rather, we find the greatest composure under pressure.
A third alternative is that his enthusiastic followers put words into his mouth he
would have been shocked to hear. Were he to return, he would immediately
repudiate them.
No, modern archeology verifies that four biographies of Christ were written within
the lifetime of people who saw, heard and followed Jesus. These gospel accounts
contained specific facts and descriptions confirmed by those who were
eyewitnesses of Jesus. The early writing of the Gospels by Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John, is why they gained such circulation and impact, unlike the fictional
Gnostic gospels which appeared centuries later.
Jesus was not a liar, or mentally disabled, or manufactured apart from historical
reality. The only other alternative is that Jesus was being consciously truthful when
he said he was God.
Is Jesus God? What is the proof?
From one point of view, however, claims don't mean much. Talk is cheap. Anyone
can make claims. There have been others who have claimed to be God. I could
claim to be God, and you could claim to be God, but the question all of us must
answer is, "What credentials do we bring to substantiate our claim?" In my case it
wouldn't take you five minutes to disprove my claim. It probably wouldn't take too
much more to dispose of yours.
But when it comes to Jesus of Nazareth, it's not so simple. He had the credentials
to back up his claim. He said, "Even though you do not believe me, believe the
evidence of the miracles, that you may learn and understand that the Father is in
Me, and I am in the Father." 12
The life of Jesus - His unique moral character
His moral character coincided with his claims.
The quality of his life was such that he was
able to challenge his very enemies with the
question, "Can any of you prove me guilty of
sin?" 13 He was met by silence, even though
he addressed those who would have liked to
point out a flaw in his character.
We read of Jesus being tempted by Satan, but
we never hear of a confession of sin on his
part. He never asked for forgiveness, though
he told his followers to do so.
This lack of any sense of moral failure on Jesus' part is astonishing in view of the
fact that it is completely contrary to the experience of the saints and mystics
throughout the ages. The closer men and women draw to God, the more
overwhelmed they are with their own failure, corruption, and shortcomings. The
closer one is to a shining light, the more he realizes his need of a bath. This is true
also, in the moral realm, for ordinary mortals.
It is also striking that John, Paul, and Peter, all of whom were trained from earliest
childhood to believe in the universality of sin, all spoke of the sinlessness of Christ:
"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." 14
Even Pilate, who sentenced Jesus to death, asked, "What evil has he done?" After
listening to the crowd, Pilate concluded, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to
it yourselves." The crowd relentlessly demanded Jesus be crucified (for blasphemy,
claiming to be God). The Roman centurion who assisted in the crucifixion of Christ
said, "Surely he was the Son of God." 15
The life of Jesus - He cured the sick
Jesus constantly demonstrated his power and compassion. He made the lame to
walk, the blind to see, and healed those with diseases. For example, a man who
had been blind from birth. Everyone knew him as the familiar beggar who sat
outside the temple. Yet Jesus healed him. As the authorities questioned the beggar
about Jesus, he said, "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" he
declared. He was astounded that these religious authorities didn't recognize this
Healer as the Son of God. "Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man
born blind," he said. 16 To him the evidence was obvious.
The life of Jesus - His ability to control nature
Jesus also demonstrated a supernatural power over nature itself. He commanded a
raging storm of high wind and waves on the Sea of Galilee to be calm. Those in the
boat were awestruck, asking, "Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him!" 17
He turned water into wine, at a wedding. He fed a massive crowd of 5,000 people,
starting with five loaves of bread and two fish. He gave a grieving widow back her
only son by raising him from the dead.
Lazarus, a friend of Jesus' died and was buried in a tomb for four days already. Yet
Jesus said, "Lazarus, come forth!" and dramatically raised him from the dead,
witnessed by many. It is most significant that his enemies did not deny this
miracle. Rather, they decided to kill him. "If we let him go on like this," they said,
"everyone will believe in him." 18
Is Jesus God, as he claimed?
Jesus' supreme evidence of deity was his own
resurrection from the dead. Five times in the
course of his life, Jesus clearly predicted in
what specific way he would be killed and
affirmed that three days later he would rise
from the dead.
Surely this was the great test. It was a claim
that was easy to verify. It would either happen
or not. It would either confirm his stated
identity or destroy it. And significant for you
and me, Jesus' rising from the dead would
verify or make laughable statements such as these:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through
me." 19 "I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not live in darkness, but
will have the light of life." 20 For those who believe in him, "I give them eternal
life..." 21
So by his own words, he offers this proof, ""The Son of Man is going to be
delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after
three days he will rise." 22
What this would mean
If Christ rose, we know with certainty that God
exists, what God is like, and how we may know
him in personal experience. The universe takes on
meaning and purpose, and it is possible to
experience the living God in this life.
On the other hand, if Christ did not rise from the
dead, Christianity has no objective validity or
reality. The martyrs who went singing to the lions, and contemporary missionaries
who have given their lives while taking this message to others, have been poor
deluded fools.
Paul, the great apostle, wrote, "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is
useless and so is your faith." 23 Paul rested his whole case on the bodily
resurrection of Christ.
Did Jesus prove he is God?
Let's look at the evidence for Jesus' resurrection.
Given all the miracles he had performed, Jesus easily could have avoided the cross,
but he chose not to.
Before his arrest, Jesus said, "I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No
one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord...and I have authority to
take it up again." 24
During his arrest, Jesus' friend Peter tried to defend him. But Jesus said to Peter,
"Put your sword back into its place...Do you think that I cannot appeal to my
Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?" 25 He had
that kind of power in heaven and on earth. Jesus went willingly to his death.
Jesus' crucifixion and burial.
Jesus' death was by public execution on a cross, a common form of torture and
death, used by the Roman government for many centuries. The accusation against
Jesus was for blasphemy (for claiming to be God). Jesus said it was to pay for our
sin.
Jesus was lashed with a multi-cord whip having metal or bone fragmented ends. A
mock crown of long thorns was beaten into his skull. They forced him to walk to an
execution hill outside of Jerusalem. They put him on a wooden cross, nailing his
wrists and feet to it. He hung there, eventually dying. A sword was thrust into his
side to confirm his death.
The body of Jesus was taken from the cross, wrapped in mummy-like linens
covered with gummy-wet spices. His body was placed in a solid rock tomb, where
a very large boulder was rolled down to it, to secure the entrance.
Everyone knew that Jesus said he would rise from the dead in three days. So they
stationed a guard of trained Roman soldiers at the tomb. They also affixed an
official Roman seal to the outside of the tomb declaring it government property.
Three days later, the tomb was empty.
In spite of all this, three days later the boulder,
formerly sealing the tomb, was found up a
slope, some distance away from the tomb.
The body was gone. Only the grave linens
were found in the tomb, caved in, empty of the
body.
It is important to note that both critics and
followers of Jesus agree that the tomb was
empty and the body missing.
The earliest explanation circulated was that
the disciples stole the body while the guards were sleeping. This makes little sense.
This was an entire guard of highly trained Roman soldiers, and falling asleep on
duty was punishable by death.
Further, each of the disciples (individually and separately from each other) were
tortured and martyred for proclaiming that Jesus was alive, risen from the dead.
Men and women will die for what they believe to be true, though it may actually be
false. They do not, however, die for what they know is a lie. If ever a man tells the
truth, it is on his deathbed.
Maybe the authorities moved the body? Yet they crucified Jesus to stop people
from believing in him. This also is a weak possibility. If they had Christ's body,
they could have paraded it through the streets of Jerusalem. In one fell swoop they
would have successfully smothered Christianity in its cradle. That they did not do
this bears eloquent testimony to the fact that they did not have the body.
Another theory is that the women, distraught and overcome by grief, missed their
way in the dimness of the morning and went to the wrong tomb. In their distress
they imagined Christ had risen because the tomb was empty. But again, if the
women went to the wrong tomb, why did the high priests and other enemies of the
faith not go to the right tomb and produce the body?
One other possibility is what some call "the
swoon theory." In this view, Christ did not actually
die. He was mistakenly reported to be dead, but
had swooned from exhaustion, pain, and loss of
blood, and in the coolness of the tomb, he
revived. (One would have to overlook the fact that
they put a spear in his side to medically confirm
his death.)
But let us assume for a moment that Christ was buried alive and swooned. Is it
possible to believe that he would have survived three days in a damp tomb without
food or water or attention of any kind? Would he have had the strength to extricate
himself from the grave clothes, push the heavy stone away from the mouth of the
grave, overcome the Roman guards, and walk miles on feet that had been pierced
with spikes? It too makes little sense.
However, it wasn't the empty tomb that convinced Jesus' followers of his deity.
Not just the empty tomb.
That alone did not convince them that Jesus actually rose from the dead, was
alive, and was God. What convinced them were the number of times that Jesus
showed up, in person, in the flesh, and ate with them, and talked with them.
Luke, one of the gospel writers, says of Jesus, "he presented himself to them and
gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period
of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." 26
Is Jesus God?
All four of the gospel writers give accounts of Jesus physically showing up after his
burial, obviously alive. One time that Jesus joined the disciples, Thomas, was not
there. When they told him about it, Thomas simply wouldn't believe it. He flatly
stated, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails
were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
One week later, Jesus came to them again, with Thomas now present. Jesus said
to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it
into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas replied, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus told him "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those
who have not seen and yet have believed." 27
Your opportunity
Why did Jesus go through all of that? It was so we could know God now, in this
life, by believing in him.
Jesus offers us a far more meaningful life, by being in a relationship with him.
Jesus said, "I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly." 28
You can begin an intimate relationship with him right now. You can begin to
personally know God in this life on earth, and after death into eternity. Here is
God's promise to us:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in
him should not perish but have eternal life." 29
Jesus took our sin on himself, on the cross. He chose to receive punishment for our
sin, so that our sin would no longer be a barrier between us and him. Because he
fully paid for your sin, he offers you complete forgiveness and a relationship with
him.
Here is how you can begin that relationship.
Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door [of your heart] and knock; if anyone hears
my voice and opens the door, I will come into him." 30
Right now you can invite Jesus Christ into your life. The words are not important.
What matters is that you respond to him, in light of what he has done for you, and
is now offering you. You could say to him something like, "Jesus, I believe in you.
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I ask you to forgive me and to come
into my life right now. I want to know you and follow you. Thank you for coming
into my life and giving me a relationship with you, right now. Thank you."
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